[Solved] Chinese characters display as question marks

Discuss the word processor
Post Reply
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

[Solved] Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

Please help, I spent all day writing an application essay in Open Office. I saved it, closed it, then when reopened it all displays as question marks. I'm using apache openoffice 4.0.1 and Windows 7 Starter. I've read the threads posted but can't seem to fix the problem myself. I tried opening the file in Ubuntu and it still displays as question marks. When I go into "installed fonts" I see two fonts that contain chinese characters already installed (NSimSun and SimHei Regular). If I'm using the same computer, why won't the characters display upon reopening the document?

Document was saved as a Microsoft Word Document. I have uploaded the doc. I see that other users have had this problem solved. I will be eternally grateful if you could assist. Thank you
Attachments
嵇康.docx
(979 Bytes) Downloaded 177 times
Last edited by Bamboo7 on Thu Dec 03, 2015 11:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

You saved as a Microsoft .docx file, which OpenOffice does not support. Start rewriting.

The file is only 979 bytes, which, if it were decompressed (if a compressed file) would indicate only a few hundred bytes of information.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

Is there any way to at least view the characters on the screen? Then I could take a picture. Micrsoft Wordviewer?

If oo doesn't support docx, how was I able to save it as such?
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

Did you just append the docx extension?
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

sorry, I don't know what that means. I just pressed "save" before closing the file. I'm guessing that when I created the file, I right-clicked in the folder, selected new, then selected word document.
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8946
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bill »

Bamboo7 wrote:I'm guessing that when I created the file, I right-clicked in the folder, selected new, then selected word document.
Can you still do that? I don't think you should be able to if you don't have MS Word installed. I don't have any options to create any type of MS Office document from the New option.
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

I don't have MS word ;)
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8946
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bill »

Bill wrote:
Bamboo7 wrote:I'm guessing that when I created the file, I right-clicked in the folder, selected new, then selected word document.
Can you still do that?
Can you still do that? You said that you "guessed" that you might have. You never confirmed that it's even possible. It's not on my system.
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8946
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bill »

I just did an experiment, opening a .docx file with AOO, editing the file and clicking the Save button to save it. This opened the Save As dialog and offered to save the file as an .odt file. There was no option to save the file as a .docx file and the file didn't get saved automatically. AFAIK, it's impossible for AOO to save .docx files, so how you managed to get a .docx file from AOO is a mystery to me. Even if a real .docx file is opened, it can't be saved by AOO as a .docx file.
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

section screenshot right click menu
Attachments
section screenshot
section screenshot
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

yeah i don't see save as docx either, first crop circles now this. I'm moving to Lake Baikal
Attachments
save as menu.jpg
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

The only text I can extract from your file is "Chinese celebrity groups, ", "(240-249)", "(224-263)"

As I said, the file is only 979 bytes long, so no matter what its compression (if any), it can only contain few hundred words. Rewrite time, I fear.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

Thank you all so much for chipping in. I bit the bullet and started a rewrite this morning, save as ODT and it reopens with characters intact. as a backup,taking occasional pictures of the screen. So when I'm finished, and need to upload it into the microsoft world, how do you recommend I go about it? I'll need to upload it onto a website that handles the applications.
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

You have a number of choices: you can /File /Save As and select MS Word 97/2000/XP format from the file type dropdown. Make sure "Automatic file name extension" is checked. You can send it as a PDF file (/File /Export as PDF). Make sure to select PDF/A-1a on the first page of the PDF export dialog to embed the fonts. If they are using MS Word later than 2007(?) this should open an .odt file directly. Any formatting differences that discloses are due to Microsoft not conforming to the OpenDocument standard.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

谢谢
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

I don't know why that puts me in mind of a character from "The Big Bang Theory" who had "Soup" in Chinese characters tattooed on her right buttock...!
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

:D nice. btw is it up to me to mark this conversation "solved"? if so how must i go about executing such an action
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
User avatar
RoryOF
Moderator
Posts: 34751
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:30 pm
Location: Ireland

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by RoryOF »

Go to your first posting in the thread and choose the "Edit" button (top rights of posting). Add [Solved[ to the Subject line and check the button below the green tick.
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15 on Xubuntu 22.04.4 LTS
User avatar
Bamboo7
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2015 10:46 pm

Re: Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bamboo7 »

Bill wrote:I just did an experiment, opening a .docx file with AOO, editing the file and clicking the Save button to save it. This opened the Save As dialog and offered to save the file as an .odt file. There was no option to save the file as a .docx file and the file didn't get saved automatically. AFAIK, it's impossible for AOO to save .docx files, so how you managed to get a .docx file from AOO is a mystery to me. Even if a real .docx file is opened, it can't be saved by AOO as a .docx file.
when I open the right click menu and select - new - microsoft word document, the file extension is automatically .docx . It probably has something to do with that I'm still using feudal versions of all software
OpenOffice version 4.0.1
installed on Microsoft Windows 7 starter
Bill
Volunteer
Posts: 8946
Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: [Solved] Chinese characters display as question marks

Post by Bill »

You may be able to create a new .docx file that way, but AOO still won't save it as .docx.
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
Post Reply